Communism in Vietnam originated in when it was overrun by the Japanese during World War II.

Communism in Vietnam originated in when it was overrun by the Japanese during World War II. When the Japanese retreated, the Vietnamese formed their own government, with Ho Chi Minh as their leader. After the war, the Allies gave southern Vietnam to the French, and northern Vietnam to the Chinese. The Chinese did not treat the Vietnamese well and support for Ho Chi Minh grew, as he was removed from power after the war ended. The Chinese retreated from Vietnam, and supporters of Ho Chi Minh, the Viet Minh, took matters into their own hands. The reign of Ho Chi Minh was supported by Communist China, where Mao Tse Tung had risen to power. Other communists supported Ho Chi Minh as well, like Russia and Eastern Europe. This was similar to what had happened in World War II, where these countries had developed by means of communism in the Cold War. In 1946, the French had declared that they wanted to take over northern Vietnam. The Viet Minh fought back, using guerilla warfare. They also attacked southern Vietnam since they were under French control. Americans soon became concerned and developed the Domino Theory. The Domino Theory was that if one country had “fallen” to communism, the country next to it would also “fall” and the chain would continue until all surrounding countries would be under communist control. America feared that communism would spread too far, so they intervened. The Americans deployed special forces to go to southern Vietnam to train the Vietnamese how to fight against Viet Minh. The Viet Minh had convinced many Vietnamese peasants to support their cause in spreading communism. The southern Vietnamese ruler, Dien Bien Phu, who was against communism and was supported by America, wanted to “save” the Vietnamese by sending them to defended camps. The peasants did not like the idea because they didn’t want to be moved, so the southern Vietnamese army overthrew him. The confusion at a political leve…